Facebook investors were left frustrated following a 30-minute delay in trading, with Nasdaq blaming a poor design in its software on its inability to cope with the ‘biggest IPO cross in the history of mankind’.

The technical glitch, a result of a series of late order cancellations, overwhelmed the stock exchange and prevented the shares from being opened on schedule.

Many investors were left unsure if their buy and sell orders had been confirmed following the mix-up, which could cost Griefield his job.

Facebook makes its stock exchange debut (Picture: Reuters)

The error has been partly blamed for Facebook’s underwhelming first day performance, with shares in Mark Zuckerberg’s company failing to rise above its $38 offering price.

‘This was not our finest hour,’ an apologetic Mr Greifeld said following the glitch, adding: ‘We’re not happy with our performance.’

More than 566million shares in the company changed hands during Facebook’s landmark IPO, valuing the company at £66billion.

Nasdaq has since announced plans to revamp its stock exchange system following the botched opening day sales.